Cocoa Powder Benefits, Side Effects And Nutrition : You Must Know

Overview

As soon as the name of cocoa powder comes to our mind, chocolate comes first. Cocoa powder has been used for making chocolate, cake and milk shakes. Cocoa powder also has various health benefits.

Don’t be surprised!! Several research found that regular and moderate use of cocoa powder can be beneficial in preventing everyday health problems and reducing their symptoms.

For this reason, in this article, we are going to discuss the information related to cocoa powder based on research. Keep reading this article to know how the use of cocoa powder can benefit your body.

Before explaining the benefits of cocoa powder, we also make it clear that it is not a treatment for any disease, but it can be used to keep ourselves healthy and to protect from minor physical problems.

What Is Cocoa Powder?

The powder made by grinding cocoa beans is called cocoa powder. It has significantly less fat and most individuals consider cocoa powder as chocolate, which is not right.

Cocoa powder makes chocolate, but chocolate or ground it does not make cocoa powder. [Trusted Source 1]

What Are The Benefits Of Cocoa Powder?

The benefits may include —

1. Oral Health

Cocoa has been given the status of ‘Food of God’. There is a mention of this in a research by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Research says that cocoa powder can be used for many health problems. This study also mentions the use of cocoa for oral health. [Trusted Source 2]

On the other hand, tannin is found in cocoa, which may help to some extent in protecting teeth from caries or tooth decay.

At the same time, caffeine and theobromine present in cocoa are also considered beneficial to prevent caries. Just keep in mind that only fat free cocoa can do this. [Trusted Source 3]

2. Weight Loss

Consumption of cocoa is believed to control obesity. During a research in Indonesia, one group of overweight people was given capsules containing four grams of cocoa powder and the other group with one gram of cocoa powder.

According to the research, both groups recorded a decrease in their weight. Weight reduction was found around the stomach of those who consumed four grams of cocoa powder for eight weeks.

According to the research, antioxidants found in cocoa increase the hormone called leptin in the body, which helps to control appetite. For this reason, cocoa powder is believed to be beneficial in weight loss. [Trusted Source 4]

3. Helps To Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases

Cocoa powder has also been considered beneficial for preventing heart disease .

4. Good For Brain and Memory

Research has found that the flavanols present in it may have the effect of increasing cognitive capacity. It can relieve fatigue and sleeplessness by improving brain function.

Cocoa has also been considered beneficial in removing the memory deficiency and the difficulty of understanding new things. For this reason, more research on cocoa on brain health is mentioned in the study. [Trusted Source 7]

At the same time, another research also mentions that flavonoids present in cocoa can help to improve brain function. Actually, it transmits blood to the neural tissue, which is better for the brain. [Trusted Source 8]

5. Reduce Inflammation

Cocoa has anti-inflammatory properties. This property can work to control inflammation as well as to reduce it.

Indeed, cocoa contains polyphenols, which exhibit this property. According to a research, polyphenols present in cocoa may help improve and reduce inflammation in the intestine. [Trusted Source 9]

Cocoa can also help to protect the nerves from inflammation and damage.

Flavonoid DNA, such as procyanidins and catechins, can also help protect against inflammation and oxidative damage. [Trusted Source 10]

6. Reduces Asthma

Natural cocoa powder, which is sweet is considered good for people with asthma.

It contains anti-asthmatic compound theobromine and theophylline. Cocoa powder, which is prepared after removing cocoa butter, contains 1.9% theobromine. For this reason, cocoa powder is believed to help reduce asthma. [Trusted Source 11]

The same study also explicitly states that cocoa powder has been found to have anti-asthmatic effects, but whether it has a negative effect on a drug or not is unclear. [Trusted Source 11]

In such a situation, if a person is already taking any medicine, then please consult the doctor once before consuming cocoa powder.

7. Improve Mood And Prevent Depression

The benefits of cocoa also include improving mood and relieving depression symptoms.

In this case, it is important to note that cocoa powder purchased from the market does not contain sugar.

9. Cocoa Powder For Skin

The use of cocoa powder helps to hydrate your skin, in addition, it also increases the density of the skin.

According to research, it is beneficial for the skin due to the flavonols present in cocoa powder.

Along with hydrating the skin, this element can also help to protect the skin from solar radiation.

It can also work to reduce the aging-effect in the skin and conditioning it due to photo—damage. This may help to reduce skin scaling and dryness. [Trusted Source 14]

10. Cocoa Powder For Hair

Cocoa powder has also been considered better for hair. Cocoa powder has anti-inflammatory properties. This property may work to reduce scalp inflammation and dandruff. [Trusted Source 15][Trusted Source 16]

At the same time, people believe that after applying cocoa powder to the hair, it absorbs the excess oil of the scalp.

However, there is no scientific evidence related to this.

How To Use Cocoa Powder?

Now, let’s know how to use cocoa powder —

Can be used to sprinkle over coffee

Can also be used when making brownies

Hot chocolate can be made using cocoa powder

Normal chocolate can also be made from cocoa powder

Smoothies are made from cocoa powder

Cocoa powder is also used to make face masks

You can also eat cocoa powder by mixing in curd

Cocoa powder is also used as a face scrub

It is also used to make tablets and capsules

When To Eat Cocoa Powder?

There is no precise time when eating cocoa powder. It can be used at any time as a balance diet or to enhance the taste of coffee and other foods.

How Much Cocoa Powder Should You Have A Day?

It can be used up to 200 mg (0.2 g) for inclusion in a balanced diet and for the benefit of cocoa powder. [Trusted Source 17]

What Are The Side Effects Of Cocoa Powder?

Now the question is — why cocoa is bad for you? Cocoa powder can have its benefits as well as its disadvantages. Yes, while consuming in limited quantities it provides various health benefits, while consuming it in large quantities can also cause many side-effects.

Many cocoa powders available in the market have high amounts of sugar, which can increase the amount of glucose in the body. This can lead to diabetes